Why Artists Keep Turning to Tarot
About this episode
This episode explores the historical and contemporary significance of tarot in the art world.
Artists and creatives have been fascinated with tarot for over 600 years. Recently, that fascination has resurfaced in a big way, showing up everywhere from museum walls to fashion runways. That's not surprising. As a sweeping universal narrative language small enough to fit in your pocket, tarot's archetypal imagery is built for rediscovery and reinterpretation. Once a medieval royal court game, tarot drifted into the realms of the occult, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 21st, it's entered the pop culture zeitgeist—accessible, affordable, and able to offer insight into the present, past, and future, but most importantly, yourself. Artists have long mined the cards for spiritual and creative inspiration, contributing to their enduring relevance. Pamela Colman Smith designed the deck that's still the industry standard, back in 1909, though her name was buried for decades under the man who commissioned it. Leonora Carrington painted a hauntingly surreal Major Arcana in 1955. Salvador Dalí spent decades on his own gilded, cinematic deck, finishing it in the 1970s. Now, dozens of artists and designers are dabbling with imagery that fuses art history, numerology…
More episodes of The Art Angle
- The Etruscans Made Astonishing Art. Why Aren't They Better Known?
- Welcome to the World of Julio Torres and Martine Gutierrez
- What's New in New York Art?
- Here's Where the Art World Eats
- An Untold History of the Art Market
- Re-Air: The Magic of ‘The Artist’s Way’
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Art Angle podcast page.